Doctor Love
by HeiHeiTstesetyun
Summary: A hospital patient with a troubled follower; a surgeon afraid of another heartbreak; a divorcee doctor with a secret passion; the pharmacist that always loved her. Medicine never has a definite prescription, the four realize. ArmeniaXFinland, past FinRus, one-sided SuFin, EstHun, ItalyXSlovenia, CroatXSerb, IreXFem!Scot, Fem!AzerXTurk, GeorXSpain, and others. Please enjoy!
1. Like a Surgeon

Doctor Love!

Pavla, Andelko, and Novak are not my original characters- they belong to the awesome Raivas-Latvijas! :)

Pairings (in alphabetical order…because I don't buy into this whole seme/uke thing): CroatiaXSerbia, ItalyXSlovenia, AzerbaijanXTurkey, ArmeniaXFinland, past FinlandXRussia, EstoniaXHungary, Georgia (the country)XSpain, IrelandXFem!Scotland (non-related),and past AustriaXHungary. :) Also, there is some onesided FinlandXSweden, where Sweden likes Finland a little too much. The main pairings are ArmeniaXFinland, EstoniaXHungary, and ItalyXSlovenia. This whole story is written to be a little ridiculous, so don't take it too seriously. ;)

If that was too long to read: Near Eastern countries (plus Turkey), Celtic nations, and Northeastern Europe! ;)

Rating: T should more than cover it.

Category: Romance, Friendship, Humor (_lots_ of my bizarre humor!), and a little bit of Hurt/Comfort. Oh, and the title comes from the KISS song, "Doctor Love." ;D

…

"They call him Doctor Love! Doctor Love!" Doctor Hedervary grinned, poking Alexianos in the side. He blushed.

"I should hope they don't." He smiled hesitantly, poking her back.

"You've never heard that song?"

"Hm?"

"Never mind. Anyway, you're going to be performing facial reconstructive surgery and a septoplasty on someone."

Alex sucked the air in through his teeth. The ordeal that the patient had gone through to mess up his or her visage like that must have been brutal. "What's the situation?"

"Let me get his profile." She opened a manila folder, scanning her notes. "Ah, here we go! Tino Väinämöinen, a twenty-nine-year-old history teacher at North Hollywood High School."

"You're kidding- I went there. Maybe he was a classmate of mine?"

"Maybe. Though it says here that he immigrated from Helsinki less than a year ago."

"How did he get hurt?"

"He climbed up a ladder to get his neighbor's cat out of a tree- cliché, I know, but cute- and the bottom slipped."

"Ouch. He's lucky he didn't break his spine."

"Doesn't he know it."

"Okay, so I need to check up on him? Brief him about the surgery? I'm assuming I'll be conducting it today."

"Indeed. Just go talk to him- he doesn't have a girlfriend in the room or anything, and he's probably a little lonely. And," she lowered her voice, "I'm pretty sure he's gay. He checked neither Pavla nor me out. Even gay men check out Pavla!"

The Armenian doctor laughed. "Well, _I _would never check Pavla out in front of you, dear."

Elizaveta chuckled. "That's pretty evident, Alex."

"You wound me so. What room is the patient in? And how should I address him?"

"He's very friendly- I'm sure just calling him 'Tino' will be fine. That's what he told me to do."

"Okay. Thanks, Eli."

"Anytime!" The Hungarian woman turned toward the left wing of the hallway, smiling as she turned away from her companion and thinking some rather indecent things about the incidence that he and the patient should ever get together…

…

"Good afternoon, Tino," Alexianos greeted his patient amicably. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had better days," he answered honestly, with a slight smile. The patient had a youthful face, even though it was marred by injury. Alex immediately felt comforted by his patient's presence- a good thing, taking into account that he would need steady nerves to operate.

"I'm sorry about this- but hopefully, I can make it better. I'm Doctor Kirzigian, and I'll be performing your facial reconstructive surgery and septoplasty. Do you have any questions for me about it?"

Tino thought for a moment. "I have a question, but not about the surgery."

"Go for it."

"How much do you like history?"

The tan doctor grinned in amusement. "I love it. How come?"

"You see, I'm a history teacher, and I wrote my thesis in graduate school on Armenian-Ottoman history."

"You don't say?"

"Yeah, and- please excuse my assumption- guessing that you're Armenian, would you want to tell me some of your views on your nation's history? I completely understand if you're too busy, but I'm just fascinated by it."

Alexianos smiled. "My schedule is actually pretty sporadic- since I perform surgeries, I get a lot of down-time in between. I'd love to come in and chat with you. And you guessed right- I am Armenian."

Tino grinned, his pale face taking on an innocent, almost cherubic expression. "Great! I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, if you're ready, I can perform your surgery right now. It will take me about three hours to complete it. Do you have any allergies, Tino?"

"Nope. And I'm ready."

"Okay. Let me just find a nurse to accompany me."

He nodded, and Alex exited the room, finding Pavla almost instantly.

"Hey, did you talk to the patient yet?" She scratched the back of her head, shaking her dark hair out of her bun.

"Yeah- I'm going to be operating on him right now, actually. Can you accompany me for the surgery?"

"Yep! Eli already asked me to, anyway."

"Great. Um…do you think he's gay?"

"Did Eli tell you that, too? She thinks every male patient that comes in here is. Why?"

Alexianos felt his face heat with embarrassment. Why _did_ he ask that? "No reason- I was just curious."

"Mm-hm._ Sure_, Alexianos. You know, Eli does have a good eye for matchmaking. After all, she's half the reason that Novak and Andelko got together."

"And the other half is that the two of them made out after getting drunk at the Christmas party?"

Pavla shrugged. "Eli did bring the Absolut…But you're evading the topic. You know, it's not that uncommon for doctors to develop crushes on their patients. Just don't be the first to act on the feeling."

Alexianos chuckled. "Eww…besides, I know next to nothing about him. I am going to visit him later to chat, though."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Not like that. He's a history teacher, and he wrote his thesis on Armenian-Ottoman events."

"So he wants to explore you."

"Well, not me, but my heritage-land's history…oh, wait. You're a pervert."

She laughed. "And you didn't already know this?"

…

Three hours and twenty-two minutes later, Pavla and Alexianos woke Tino from his surgery. A bit dazed, he grinned lazily.

"Heeeey, Doctor!" He laughed to himself. He'd seemingly reacted negatively to the anesthesia. "C-can I call you Doctor Love, or would that be weird?"

"I'd…prefer you call me Doctor Kirzigian, Tino. But if that's too hard, you can call me Alex."

"So call you- Doctor Love! They call you Doctor Love! Doctor Love!..."

Pavla began laughing so hard that she had to lean on a chair for support as she doubled over. Alexianos wanted to bury his face in his hands.

"So if you'll please get on your knees!...something something something BILLS OR FEES!"

Alexianos had to cover his mouth with his sleeve- the whole situation was just too embarrassing.

"I'm going to pee myself!" Pavla exclaimed before running out of the room in hysterics.

"Hey, hey Doctor," Tino pulled on Alex's sleeve, "Do you have the cure I'm thinkin' of?"

Alex flushed. "Hurrah! Look- you are already cured. Now, I believe you've had a strange reaction to the anesthesia- I need to monitor you until you come to."

He snickered and nodded. The poor guy- in a few minutes, he'd be mortified.

"I'm super tired, though."

"I know it's hard, but please try to stay awake."

"Okay. Can I talk to you?"

"Of course you can. What would you like to talk about?"

"…Somalia."

"You like Somalia?"

"Only in Somalia…we've got pirates. Broop…broop…broop…broop-de-doop."*

"What else do you know about Somalia?"

Tino laughed, ignoring Alexianos' question completely. "I know that there's a population of crab in Norway.* I have a friend from Norway. He dated this guy named Mathias. Mathias was so-o-o-o-o hot. I had a serious crush on him my freshman year in college."

_So he was gay!, _Alex mused, embarrassed for his excitement over that fact. "Ah, I see."

"He's just a friend now. He's an awesome guy, but very impulsive. But he has this really cool blond hair that's always messy but still looks good and oh my God." He glanced at Alexianos with more clarity, a mortified expression on his face. "Is my surgery over?"

"Yes, it is."

"Oh…_perkele_, I am so sorry! I had no idea I'd react that badly to anesthesia and…" He blushed, "Please forgive me."

"It's not a problem, Tino. If it makes you feel any better about your telling me about your friend, I'm into men, as well."

The Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "That does make me feel better."

"I'm glad. Is there anything I can get you? You're probably thirsty. It's okay for you to drink, but you'll want to wait a while before you chew hard food."

"Could I have some milk?"*

"Of course. I'll bring you some right now. In the meantime, try to relax without falling asleep. Watching TV helps, but try to watch something fast-paced. Why they play the mid-day news in these rooms is beyond me."

The blond laughed. "Sure thing."

Alex closed the door behind himself, almost instantly running into a smirking Elizaveta. "Did I not tell you?"

"I'd rather forget about what just transpired."

"Pavla was running to the restroom like a mad woman. And it takes a _lot_ to make her laugh so hard that she pees. Tell me what happened."

"Patient confidentiality, Eli." Alex winked.

"You're cruel. Fine, Pavla will tell me. Or Novak will. He was walking by, you know. Apparently, Tino is an incredible singer."

"La la la! I speak no evil! I see no evil! I hear no evil!"

"Fine, fine. I'll remember not to ask you for gossip. Hey, what are you doing now?"

"Getting Tino some milk. Afterwards, I basically have free time unless anyone else needs a surgery, which doesn't seem to be the case. I'll probably go in and have the discussion with Tino that I promised. You get off in an hour, right?"

"Yes, but wait. Discussion with Tino? Why didn't I hear about this?"

"Oh, I was going to tell you, I promise. He's interested in Armenian-Ottoman history, that's all. He wants my take on it."

"He didn't ask for Sadik to join you, did he?"

"That would be more than awkward. I think he has the tact not to do that. I have nothing against Sadik, but it's a sensitive topic. God knows how Novak and Andy* can talk about politics so nonchalantly."

"Anyone that could get mad at Novak is the kind of person that kicks babies as a hobby. Into fans."

Alex laughed in spite of himself. "That's a horrible joke, Eli."

She laughed as well. "I don't know why I said that. Excuse me while I get an exorcism."

"You're excused." They smirked at one another as Alexianos headed to the cafeteria, "You should come over tonight, by the way! I got Gnomeo and Juliet on DVD."

"Ooh! I love me some Elton John! Count me in."

…

"Do you think the Dhimmi* were persecuted more for their religion or their ethnicity?" Tino asked, popping a tater-tot into his mouth.

"Definitely for their ethnicity. Or…maybe the religion, too? I really have no idea. I just wish that more people would recognize what happened."

"Does it make you resent Turkish people?"

"No, I don't like to generalize. One of my friends is Turkish, after all. It's just that when something that horrible happens, it needs to come out in the open."

"Are you afraid something like this will happen again?"

"Very. The fact that there still isn't worldwide recognition is shocking…I mean, Hitler justified his killings after seeing how the murder of my people went unpunished. It's horrible, really."

Tino digested Alex's information thoroughly, taking time to contemplate each answer. "You've really been helpful. Thank you very much for taking the time off to chat with me."

Doctor Kirzigian smiled. "It's been my pleasure. What got you interested in this part of the world in the first place?"

"When it comes to history, I'm insatiable. I have to know exactly what happened, you know? And so, when I heard about the Genocide, I had to learn more. And it's also a matter of justice- when people are aware of the truth, they're more likely to act pursuant to it."

"That's very true. It's nice to talk to someone that's neither Armenian nor Turkish, but still interested in what happened. You're from Finland, right?"

"Yep! Helsinki. It's a very nice city, but I love it here in California. You can't beat this weather. Did you grow up here?"

"I did. I actually went to North Hollywood High."

"You don't say? I teach there."

"Doctor Hedervary told me that. How do you like it?"

He smiled. "I love teaching- it makes my day when one of my students really gets into the material. How do you like being a surgeon?"

"It's a great job. It's sometimes stressful, but there's nothing I'd rather do. As a teacher, I'm sure you understand what I mean."

The blond nodded before checking his watch. "Oh my gosh! I've taken an hour out of your schedule already!"

Alexianos chuckled. "It's okay- I wasn't going to be doing anything else. I should head on out, but if there's anything you need, please feel free to press the button next to you."

"I'll be fine. Thanks, again!"

Alex left the room with a strange new energy- he felt oddly at peace after the discussion. Perhaps someone had given himanesthesia, as well?

….

"Oy, sranje!" Pavla exclaimed as she dropped her coffee thermos, the now-cold drink spilling across the sidewalk. She frowned- now she would have to buy a new one, and she barely had ten dollars to her name.

However, she quickly smiled once more. There was a Starbucks a few blocks away, and if luck was on her side, Feliciano would be working his shift. The Slovenian woman hurried her pace, practically running to visit her…acquaintance? Friend? She really wasn't sure what to call the man that she had chatted with on multiple occasions. He certainly wasn't a stranger, if that cleared up anything. Through their discourse, Pavla had learned that Feliciano loved pasta, chocolate, and cats; that he attended graduate school at UCLA; and that he interned at Pfizer. He was twenty-five years old, had auburn hair, and was an inch shorter than she.

_And he gave her free coffee on Valentine's day._

She blushed- thinking rationally, it was merely a friendly gesture on Feliciano's behalf. After all, he had never asked her out, had he? And though Pavla was by no terms traditional, she did look for tangible interest in a man before deciding to ask _him_ for a date. To her, it seemed that Feliciano was content with their weird in-between-acquaintances-and-friends stage. So, she must content herself with it, as well.

She opened the glass door of the café, feeling fortunate that there was no line. And Feliciano was even at the register! She would have to consult her rosary in thanks when she got home.

"Pavla, ciao!" The Italian man called from behind the counter, waving with excitement at the brunette in front of him. Pavla grinned.

"Ciao, Feli! How are you?"

"I've been great! Oh, I'm a little nervous, as my presentation will be in a month, but I'm preparing for it whenever I get the chance. How are you?"

"Good luck with that- I know that they'll pass you! I'm doing pretty well- it's been slow paced at the hospital, which is good. I prefer having little to fix when it comes to people's lives. It's weird that there aren't more people in here- it's such a lovely day."

"I think you missed the rush. About an hour ago, it was packed. So, what can I get you?"

"I'll have…hmm…what is the blond roast like?"

"It's good, but I don't think you'd like it. You tend to order your coffee strong."

He noticed that? Perhaps he was more interested than Pavla thought.

"All-righty. I'll just get my usual, then." The nurse figured she could test his memory a bit more.

"A dark roast, venti, with a pump of sweetener but no cream. Got it!"

Feliciano's chatty manner could lead people to believe he was thoughtless, but Pavla had to disagree. He remembered all that? She headed over to the counter, waiting for her drink.

"So, what are you doing tonight?"

The Slovenian woman felt her breath catch. Was he going to ask her out? "Tonight?" She smiled shyly.

"Yep! It's a Friday- are you going out with any friends?"

Oh. So he was simply being friendly.

"No- I didn't make any plans for this weekend. I'll probably just go home and feed my cat." She laughed nervously- why on earth did she say that? Now she would sound crazy…

"You have a cat?" Feliciano glanced at her while preparing her coffee.

"I do- his name is Kabuki."

He smiled. "That's cute. What kind of cat is Kabuki?"

"He's an American wirehair, I think. He's very cute."*

"Aww. Well, I hate to intrude on your quality time with him, but I was wondering if you'd like to get some dinner with me. My brother owns a restaurant in Pasadena, and it's pretty good, if I can say so myself."

She beamed. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Feliciano blushed. "Well…if you…I mean, yes. I am."

"I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Great! Let me give you the directions," he scrawled an address on a napkin, "Can you read that okay?"

"Yep! I work with doctors- your writing is twenty-times more legible than what I usually see."

He laughed. "I'll meet you at eight, then, Pavla."

…

"Novak!" Pavla nearly pounced on her Serbian roommate. "Guess who has a date tonight? Guess? Guess? Guess?"

"Well, this is a shot in the dark, but you?"

"Yes! With Feliciano!" She began giggling almost hysterically with excitement.

"Woah, calm down. You don't want to pee yourself again, do you?" He winked. Pavla smacked his arm facetiously.

"Hush now, that was hilarious. I've never seen Alexianos so uncomfortable in my life."

He laughed. "That poor guy. So, Feliciano asked you out, then?"

"Yes! His brother has a restaurant in Pasadena, which means that not only do I get to go on a date with a cute, friendly, and intelligent guy, but I _also _get to eat a meal that isn't made to be heated up in the microwave. Whoo hoo!"

"That definitely is something to be excited about. Good for you! Hey, Andy!"

"Hm?" The Croatian entered the kitchen, still shaving his face. A glob of shaving cream fell to the floor.

"Pavla is going on a date!"

Andelko smiled at his friend. "Kidnapping is illegal in all fifty states, Pavla."

She laughed. "Fuck you!"

"Swearing is not pretty," he teased, knowing that such a phrase would have no effect on his feminist friend.

"Neither is a concussion."

"Well played."

"Don't you at least want to know who I'm going out with?"

"Yeah, who?"

"Feliciano!"

Andy grinned. "Really? Congratulations. He seems nice."

"He is. And he's buying me food, which makes me like him even more."

The Croatian made a mock-whining sound. "Novak doesn't buy me food anymore."

"Then he doesn't love you at all." Pavla tried to keep her face stoical and not smile, which only led the other two to advance and tickle her.

"Ah! Haha, you guys, stop! Stop, or I seriously _will_ have to pee!"

…

A/N: Yay! I already have the story completely written, so I promise that I won't have few and far-in-between updates on this (and thankfully so- I have finals this week, and I'll be turning 17 on Sunday, so I'm going away for the weekend to Newport Beach :D). Anyhow, here are some notes!

-The "Norway" and "Somalia" statements come from assorted AlbinoBlackSheep videos. If you've never seen them, they're wonderfully weird.

- I don't really do this, since I'm Finnish-American, but Finnish people _love_ milk almost as much as they love coffee or Finnish vodka (which they really, _really_ love). Many young Finns drink it with every meal.

-Serbians and Croatians are known to generally not get along as nations, which I think makes Novak and Andelko's relationship even cuter. :) If you'd like to read more about them, check out Raivas-Latvijas' account.

-The Dhimmi were the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (which is now modern-day Turkey). They had very few rights under the Ottoman Empire, and in 1915 nearly two-million Armenians were killed in genocides by the Empire's officials. It's a very sad event that is still widely unacknowledged, partly due to diplomatic cowardice. Though many in the United States recognize the genocide, our government does not officially acknowledge it, although President Obama considers legally acknowledging it. Let's hope he does!

Please review! Your reviews make my day and encourage me to post the rest of this. Perhaps just tell me your favorite character or write gibberish? I'll take whatever I can get. :D


	2. First and Foreceps

"Ara! Alex!" Karina hurried into the kitchen, stepping into sturdy grey boots and pulling her knee-length skirt down. "Have you seen Farah anywhere?"

Karina was both Alexianos' and Farah's cousin, though the latter were not related. The Georgian-Armenian woman was tall and pale, with fiery red hair that she pulled back into a loose bun, tendrils of crimson spilling out to cover the sides of her face. Her sea-foam eyes regarded her cousin gently, hoping that he knew the answer to her question.

"Hey, Kari," he smiled, leaning in to hug his relative. "I haven't. Today is her day off, isn't it? We don't exactly talk much, as it is…"

This was true. The conflicting nationalities aside (Farah was half-Azerbaijani and Alexianos was fully Armenian, though this didn't pose any issues as the both of them were endowed with a high sensitivity to what was politically correct, and not to mention open minds.*), the two found it hard to get along after a certain man came between them…

The door unlatched, and Farah entered the room with a bag full of groceries and a self-assured smile. Her dark hair was tucked into a bright pink headband, looking glamorous even after the Los Angeles wind combed through it. A tall, tan man in a white doctor's coat followed her, glancing about the room nervously, as if he were trying to ascertain that someone wasn't there.

_Speak of the Devil_.

Now, it wasn't that Alexianos was angry with Sadik or Farah. He liked to see himself above holding petty grudges. Still, it made him a bit uncomfortable that Sadik had begun going out with Alex's roommate a month after he and Alex broke up. He quickly excused himself into the kitchen, taking the groceries from his cousin's cousin and placing them in the refrigerator.

Karina headed into the kitchen as well, her eyes wide and troubled. "Are you going to be okay?" She whispered, glancing behind her back for a moment. Sadik and Karina were sitting at the piano, their backs turned to the others.

"Yeah, don't worry. Eli is coming over tonight to hang out. Plus, I've had an interesting day at work, to say the least."

She smiled, relieved for him. Alex felt a pang of sympathy over the fact that his cousin worried so much for him, though he quickly reassured himself that it was just in her nature to do so. "Me, too. Tell me about yours."

"Well, one of my patients is really nice…and he had a rather strange reaction to the anesthesia."

"What happened?"

"He started singing a song called 'Doctor Love' to me. It was incredibly awkward. Pavla ran into the halls shouting that she was going to pee herself."

Karina laughed in that hoarse, cackling way that she did- a raunchy but endearing laugh that made Alexianos smile. "The KISS song? That must have been hilarious."

"It was to her, apparently. I just felt bad for the poor guy! He was so embarrassed when he came to. He's nice, though- we had a really interesting conversation about history. He teaches it at NoHo High."

"Does he? Is he cute?" She raised a thick, blond eyebrow, trying (but failing) to wiggle it.

"Yes, but he's also a patient."

"Aw. Still, some harmless admiration from afar can't hurt."

"I agree. Anyway, tell me what happened with you!"

"Well, Antonio and I are going on another date; I can't believe he's still interested after the Indian food disaster!" Anja shuddered. "We'll be getting sea food. Ah, does my outfit look okay?"

Alexianos surveyed the woman. Her lips were faintly slicked with pale Chap-stick, and she wore a lavender silk top tucked into a frilly amethyst skirt. Her pale shoulders were bare, and she wore a necklace made of chunky coral around her neck. Her clothes reflected her personality- at first glance, they were modest, but in the minute details one could see that she was truly quirky and bold.

"You look great! Antonio won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

She chuckled, peering down modestly. "I'm glad you think so. What time is it?"

Alex glanced at his watch. "It's seven forty-three. When is your date?"

"Oh, good. I think I can still get there on time, but I need to leave now."

"Okay. Have fun!"

"Thank you! You too," she eyed the DVD in Alex's hand. "Gnomeo and Juliet?"

Alexianos grinned. "Don't hate."

"Nah, man, I was just about to consider cancelling my date. I love that movie." She ruffled her cousin's hair as she left, chuckling softly.

…

"I really had a lot of fun with you, Feliciano." Pavla beamed at the man and brushed her hand against the side of her neck, trying to display her interest. "And I appreciate you walking me up to my apartment."

"_Bella, _of course!" Feliciano smiled as well, his small eyes squinting in contentment. "I'm happy that you said yes. Would you want to go out again sometime?"

_Yesyesyes! Yes! Whoo!_

"I'd like that," Pavla replied, striving to keep her "cool," even if- more than anything- she wanted to shout for joy.

"Great! We'll set something up, then. Can I have your number?"

The two exchanged contact information, and Pavla waved Feliciano goodbye after giving him a quick (but affectionate) hug.

As soon as she entered her apartment, she burst into a fit of excited, bewildered laughter and continued until Andelko rushed out and asked if she was having a nervous breakdown.

…

"Hey."

Tino frowned at the text. Hadn't he blocked that number from messaging him?

Apparently not.

"Berwald, I told you not to text me anymore. You're not allowed to contact me."

"I heard you got hurt. Are you okay? Who did this to you?"

Tino debated whether he should reply or call the police.

"The restraining order is binding. If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to tell the authorities."

"We both know that was Ivan's doing. _He_ took you away from me. You didn't want to leave me. And now he's gone."

A chill ran through Tino's spine, arousing a fear that he'd long pushed to the back of his mind- what if Berwald had hurt- no. Ivan's car was hit by a reckless driver from upstate New York. Still…

Tino punched in Weilschmidt's number. He'd know what to do.

After three rings, the albino man answered, his tone laden with annoyance.

"It's one in the morning! This better be pretty fuckin' important, whoever you are-"

"It's Tino, Gil. I need your help."

Tino could practically hear the other man's back tense rigidly. "Is Berwald botherin' you again?"

"I know he's all the way over in Hesa*, but yes. And he's talking about Ivan, too…I think he was the one that- you know."

The German sighed. "We have no conclusive evidence to prove that, but if you want my honest opinion, I agree. We need to keep that freak from coming over here, huh? I'll see what I can do with the officers in Helsinki."

"I really appreciate it. Thanks, man."

"Of course. Get some sleep and try not to worry about him. I don't think he'd do anything to hurt you-"

"It's everyone else that I worry about."

"Yeah, I know. Like I said, try not to worry. We'll figure this out."

Tino tried to believe him.

…

Elizaveta sighed to herself. Roderich had now packed the last of his things and left their spacious condo- hopefully, for good.

It wasn't that she hated him, though she had every right to. And, though she was offended (he'd cheated on her, after all), she really wasn't _hurt_. If she had to be honest with herself, she was thankful that he'd left- their marriage was troubled and his violation saved her a couple's therapy bill.

Still, the situation was glum. She was sad to lose Roderich as a friend, but she realized that they didn't know one another very well, as it was. She had married him when she was young- at twenty-two she was too naïve to make a proper decision- and now she had to face the consequence of recklessness. Yet she never meant Roderich any harm- she had always cared for him, though perhaps "love" wasn't the right word. Because love isn't supposed to fizzle out so drastically. Because love isn't supposed to wither and leave her feeling empty inside when her illusions crash down.

Feeling overwhelmingly lonely, Eli dialed an old friend. He picked up shortly.

"Hi, Eli."

"Hey, Eduard. How are you?"

"I'm fine, and you?

"Meh."

"Aw…Roderich is gone for good now, huh?"

"Yeah. I don't know- it's not about that, and then, it is. Do you think I could come over for a while? I need to stop thinking for a bit." She fidgeted with her collar- why was it suddenly so hot?

"Of course. Do you need me to pick you up?"

"I'll be fine driving, but thank you."

"Okay. I'll see you soon, Eli."

"See ya, Eduard. It's really good to talk to you."

"Same. Bye-bye."

"Bye."

Eduard felt his heart sink as Elizaveta hung up. He hated to hear her so miserable. Even if he had never liked Roderich much, he sympathized with Eli- she made a mistake in her younger years, to be sure, but she gave their marriage the best effort that she could. And all this with a doctor's schedule!

Of course, a small part of himself- a part that he was _very_ annoyed with- was a little glad that they were broken up. It meant that he still had a chance to impress Elizaveta. It meant that, maybe someday, she'd want to be with him. He ignored the notion- right then, she needed comfort, not another suitor.

He found a crumpled bar of chocolate, half eaten, and set it on the coffee table. It wasn't elegant, but it would just have to do.

…

A/N: I think a few notes are in order! I appreciate all the wonderful readers and reviewers, by the way- you guys rock! :)

-Another controversial duo, Azerbaijanis and Armenians! The border between Azerbaijan and Armenia is currently in conflict, even though the two nations have officially ended war. Also, during Soviet times Azerbaijan was anti-Russian control, while Armenia was generally relieved to have the Russians on their side. This, among other things, makes the two countries so tense with one-another that airplanes from Armenia don't even fly into Azerbaijani airports, and vice versa. Not surprisingly, Armenia didn't send an entry to Eurovision this year, because Eurovision was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, along the border there are some positive Azerbaijani-Armenian relationships; I watched a documentary about a marriage between an Azerbaijani woman and an Armenian man, and they made a very cute couple…During their first encounter, the guy flirted with the lady, and she yelled at him to "shut up!" because she was embarrassed. xD For one more note, poor Georgia seems to be in the middle of the conflict. Armenia and Georgia used to have very good relations, but Georgia dislikes Armenia's ally (Russia), and Armenia dislikes Georgia's ally (Azerbaijan), so relations are a bit more strained now. So, here's a quick summary of the situation in the Caucasus! :)

-"Hesa" is the "country Finnish" term for Helsinki. No native Helsinkian would ever call it "Hesa," (they call it "Stadi," I believe), but other Finns sometimes call it "Hesa," especially if they're from the countryside.

There we go. :) Please review if you've enjoyed!


	3. Twenty Twenty Surgery

Sadik eyed Farah's cigarette sadly as they sat out on the balcony. He didn't mean to be judgmental, but he _hated_ smoke. It made his lungs constrict and his eyes water and his heart pound and his stomach churn. She frowned.

"I know. I really need to quit. I'm _trying_, but my job is stressing me out."

"You can do it," Sadik encouraged, "Maybe you could seek advice from someone. Alex used to smoke, too, right?"

"Yeah, but he and I don't really talk. And I have a feeling he'd get all self-righteous and tell me about how it's bad for my health and how he quit before he became a surgeon and yadda yadda. I know it is. I know it's disgusting. But being a nurse is so damn _difficult_."

"It is, but I think you aren't giving him enough credit. Alex is actually pretty nice."

"I know…I'm just feeling pretty crappy right now. Look at me! I went a week without a ciggy and then I caved. How can I survive the rest of my life without one?"

"Just take it step by step. Did you use gum?"

"No, I tried to quit cold turkey."

"That's the problem. Maybe get some Nicorette or something."

She sighed. "It can't hurt to try."

"You know," Sadik grinned like a fox, raising an eyebrow, "there are other ways to relieve stress without drugs."

Farah smirked. "Ha. You're funny. Too bad you already suggested Nicorette."

"I was talking about jogging."

"That couldn't hurt, either. Wanna go for a run with me?"

"We'll set up a morning schedule; if you quit smoking, I'll jog with you four days a week."

"You really don't mind?" Farah beamed. Sadik was going above and beyond his duties as a boyfriend.

"Aqsimu bil-laah."*

"Awesome! Let's start tomorrow, then."

…

"Morning, Pavla."

The Slovenian woman grinned, happy and well-rested from an exceptional weekend. She was so thankful to have been given normal hours and workdays, considering that she was a hospital nurse…

"Morning, Alex. How was your weekend?"

"It was good. I had to perform a few surgeries on Saturday, so I didn't really have much of a break, but my Sunday was nice. How was yours?"

"Excellent! You'll never believe who I went out with on Friday night."

"That barista- oh, what's his name?- Feliciano! Did you go on a date with him?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I did, indeed. And- augh!- he's so nice and friendly, even more so than I thought, and we're going for a bike ride next weekend! And even though he's a graduate student and I offered to pay my half, he insisted on paying for me, which is really, really nice as my starting salary is a pittance…"

"He sounds awesome! What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing deep, since it was our first date, but he had plenty to say on whatever came up. He asked me about my job and I asked him about grad school- he's studying to be a botanist- and somehow we got on the topic of travel and how both of us really want to go to Peru someday. Ah! Anyway, I should stop gushing and let you see your groupie."

"My group-? Oh. You're terrible." He chuckled, mussing the hair underneath Pavla's ponytail.

"Not as bad as Eli."

"That's true. She was talking to me about babies and fans and some weird crap the other day, God bless her."

"Well, I'm sure that wasn't the weirdest thing you've encountered that day." She snickered, waving good-bye and hurrying off. Alexianos smiled to himself after she left him and then turned toward a cedar door with a gilded handle, opening it with ease.

His patient was leaned back on her bed, watching the telly and murmuring at the protagonist to "Get outta there!" before it was too late. Her husband, a visitor, was crashed out on the cot next to her.

"Good morning, Eileen." Alexianos spoke in a gentle tone and greeted her with warmth. The poor woman had nearly drowned during a scuba excursion gone horribly wrong, and her mind still had to "sort itself out," as she had ascertained. She turned to him and grinned, her eyes bleary with confusion and the early hour.

"Aye, good mornin', Dr. K! I hope ye're well." Her brogue thinly veiled her words, its tone oddly maternal.

"I am, thanks. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm in tip-top shape, really. This one," she gestured to her husband with a sidelong movement of the thumb, "is more exhausted than me, the poor lad."

Alex smiled. "I'm glad that you're feeling well. Is there something we can do for you?"

"If ye could have the nurse send in some breakfast for Aeden an' I, I'd be much obliged."

"Got it. You'll have to jog my memory- vegetarian or with meat?"

"Meat for me, but veggie for Aeden. Thank ye!"

"No problem."

Alexianos asked a young, diligent nurse to bring the couple their meals once he entered the hallway and headed toward Tino's dormitory. With any luck, the friendly man might already be awake.

To Alexianos' surprise, Tino was busy chatting in a mixture of English and some foreign tongue- presumably Finnish- on his Nokia. His tone was sharp and dignified, though his face betrayed his terror with wide eyes and a quivering jaw.

"Mhm…Oho…Vo- Mika*? Oh, _Damn_ you for mentioning him! Listen, the police are already notified that you've violated the order, so you might as well hang up now. Good_bye_."

Tino hung up with a satisfying "click" of the phone, sighing as he set the cellular next to him on the nightstand.

"Voi vit-" He glanced up at Alexianos, suddenly noticing him. "Oh, I'm sorry you had to see that…"

"It's no trouble," Alexianos reassured quietly, "but is there somebody bothering you?"

Tino nodded, once again honest. Alexianos liked this- he preferred when people said what they meant and meant what they said.

"There is, but I've already gotten help for it, so you don't have to worry."

"Okay. But if you need to talk about it, I'm here." He paused for a moment. "Would you like to?"

Tino found this openness- such an American quality- confounding. Nonetheless, it was comforting to know that someone cared, and though he wasn't used to talking through his issues in Finland, he felt more than prepared to do so in the land of verbal rumination. "That would actually be great, thank you."

"Of course." Alex took a seat in a waiting chair by Tino's cot, sitting comfortably and leaning back into the plush. "Who is this person?"

"It's this guy that went to University with me. I went on one date with him, and by then, I'd realized that there was something…off about him. However, we were in a lot of the same courses, so I still tried to be nice to him, but there was something in his eyes that told me he had…issues. Is that a good euphemism for it?"

Alexianos smiled. "It's okay- you don't have to be politically correct."

Tino sighed with relief. "Thank God. The guy was insane. In his dorm, he had a wall lined with Polaroid photographs of random people eating ice cream- it was really creepy, because he took them all himself. Anyway, I started seriously seeing another history major who was in a lot of classes with me and the creep, Berwald. Ivan was the guy that I was seeing, and eventually, we started dating during our sophomore year. He and I kept dating until a year-and-a-half ago, actually, and throughout our relationship Berwald would continually try to contact me. Once he even followed me to my apartment- it was awful." He took a deep breath to steady himself and continued.

"Anyway, Ivan and I never broke up- he was involved in a fatal car crash in a four-way intersection when the other driver failed to stop and drove into him at fifty kilometers per hour."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Alexianos frowned sympathetically, inwardly alarmed at the speed which the driver had gone. Even in _Glendale_, people didn't drive 50 kph!

Tino smiled sadly at Alexianos. "It's okay, though I'm very sad that it happened. It cannot be proved, but a lot of things pointed to the fact that Berwald played a part in the accident. By that time, I'd already filed a restraining order against him, but he began to contact me again…I decided it was time for a change, and so I moved to southern California."

Alex's eyes widened. "And this man is contacting you _still_?"

"Yes. However, I've already talked to authorities, and so I'm convinced that all will be okay. I don't think I'll hear from him anymore…I just, ach, I can't believe he would have the audacity to bring up Ivan again." Tino felt embarrassed that he was baring his soul to a near-stranger, but something about Alexianos was trustworthy, as if he cared about Tino's worries and wanted to make things better.

"It's disgusting of him…I really am sad to hear that you're going through all this. If you ever need my assistance, please let me know."

"You've already done more than enough to help me. Thank you, doctor."

"Of course. Any time you'd like to talk, Tino, please just call for me." He blushed innocently after saying this and quickly excused himself from the room. Tino, too wrapped up in his own conflict, barely noticed the other's nonplus and quickly fell back to sleep.

…

_"So, this is Smolensk." Tino's eyes and smile widened at the sights around him- the town where the great cosmonaut Gagarin had lived and where a sizeable number of Karelians had relocated after the war. The western Russian town, so close to the Finnish border, where Ivan had grown up was lovely. The streams flowed freely alongside newly-renovated paths and the mid-day summer sky was lit by the pale presence of a bloated moon._

_ "It is," Ivan replied quietly, a faint smile tracing his features. There was not much he needed to say- he and Tino already understood. Ivan's family had met Tino and adored him- he now had their acceptance. Tino had met Ivan's family and adored them- he now had his lover's acceptance, as well. All was as it should have been._

_ Tino's phone rang, an all-too-familiar number flashing across the screen. Ivan glared at the phone, restraining himself from answering it and chewing out the caller for continuing to bother Tino. Instead, the Finn turned off his cellular and smiled. Ivan did so, as well, and the two held hands as they continued their walk._

…

_ "Hey," Ivan's breath warmed the outer shell of Tino's ear, which had previously been chilled by the wintery air, "I'm going to the market for just a moment. I'll be right back." He pried himself from Tino's warm arms, and the other blinked open his tired eyes._

_ "Do you have to leave now?" Tino yawned, glancing at his watch. "It's still early."_

_ "Yeah, but I want to spend the rest of the day in with you."_

_ He smiled. "Well, I have no objections to that," Tino leaned up, kissing his fiancée, "but be back soon. This bed is cold without another body."_

_ "You being cold?" Ivan teased, pecking one of Tino's icy cheeks, "I thought that was Impossible. I'll be right back, da."_

_ "Okay. Be careful- I love you."_

_ "I love you, too, solnishko," Ivan's jaw tensed, as though he were struck by some great fear, and he added for good measure " I always will."_

…

A/N:

Wow! I'm, once again, very thankful to my wonderful readers and reviewers. :) You guys are so encouraging! Thanks for getting on board with all these OCs. :D

A few notes:

- "Aqsimu bil-laah" means "I swear by Allah." Turkey and Azerbaijan are both predominantly Muslim countries. :) Some might be wondering why I didn't have Farah wear a head-covering. Well, many Muslim women in America don't wear head-coverings- especially those of the younger generation- and though I think that hijabs are gorgeous, I feel like Farah wants to show off her pretty hair. xD Not that she's braggy, she's just confident. Also, I'm not a smoker (nor have I ever smoked), so all the information is hear-say from the pharmacology videos I watch. xD

-I can't type the scripted A's on word document, but the "a" in "mika" should have two dots over it. "Mika" means "What?" in Finnish. The next thing he says in Finnish, "voi vittu," is basically like "Oh fuck." xD


	4. I Don't Want No Scrubs

"Ms. Kumaritashvilli? Your presentation, please."

Karina knew it was her time- time to be assertive, _aggressive_, even if she wasn't normally so. She wanted this position. She _needed_ this position, and she was _darn_ well qualified for it!

"Yes." Karina smiled at her fellow teachers and at the superintendent and administrators, steadying her hands at her sides as she approached the front of the room.

"I will keep this succinct- I would like to start teaching an AP Chemistry course."

A few of the teachers smiled at her, happy that she took the bold initiative. A fellow chemistry teacher stared at her in bewilderment- was honors chemistry not time-consuming enough for her? Antonio grinned, silently mouthing _"Go for it!"_

"I would still like to teach some honors courses, if possible, but I feel that it would be beneficial to North Hollywood High School to have AP Chemistry as part of the curriculum. As of last year, I am AP certified, and I have several cost-efficient labs already planned out as well. I plan on carefully budgeting the course so that I do not cut into the school's expenses, but I feel that the course would be worthwhile. Many of my students have expressed an interest in moving on to AP Chemistry next year, and I want to give them the best chance possible to pursue careers in science."

The superintendent, Dr. Braginskaya, widened her eyes in interest, a cheerful smile playing across her features. Administrator Arlovskaya, however, was less-than-impressed.

"An AP course in itself, no matter how well it is budgeted, is still costly, Ms. Kumaritashvilli."

"I feel that the benefits will outweigh the costs. Should we offer AP chemistry, our school will be one of the few in the Los Angeles School District to do so. This will attract students that would otherwise go to private schools, aiding North Hollywood High in fundraisers and wages, should we have a larger student body."

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Dr. Braginskaya rose to stand next to Karina. "I'm glad you spoke up about this- I've been thinking that, with such a talented Science Olympiad team at this school, there ought to be more AP science courses here. Don't worry about the funding- we want to give these students an innovative course, so I'm sure that with some proper fundraising we can stretch the budget. You are the supervisor of the Science Olympiad team here, am I correct?"

"I'm the co-supervisor," Karina politely corrected. "Mr. Carriedo Fernandez and I both guide the club." She smiled at her boyfriend, and he beamed at her in response.

"Well, you both are doing a great job of it. Mr. Carriedo, you teach AP Biology, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, Dr. Braginskaya. Along with material sciences."

"Then it seems we ought to give Karina an AP course to teach, as well!" Yekaterina smiled at Karina. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"Thank you so much." Karina sighed with relief, feeling her pale face heat with adrenaline. Had it really been so easy? Natalya Arlovskaya merely huffed indignantly at her as she walked by.

…

"You look down," Elizaveta commented as Alexianos picked apart his lunch. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Alex's head snapped up, and he brightened his expression. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine, I was just thinking. This chicken tartar is exceptional-"

"You're hiding something." Her tightly drawn lips conveyed that she would not rest until she got a suitable explanation as to why Alexianos was acting so solemn.

He sighed. "Yeah, I am. This really creepy guy has been stalking Tino for the past few years, and…Tino had this fiancée, you see, and the guy possibly had something to do with a fatal car accident that Tino's ex-fiancee was involved in. And he's still calling Tino, even though he had a restraining order put on him. Tino's called the police, but I'm worried."

"Of course you are; that's serious. Well, does this guy live in the U.S.?"

"No, presumably he lives in Finland. Tino was talking harshly on the phone to him mainly in English, though…"

Elizaveta shrugged. "He could be a foreigner, I suppose."

"The guy's name is Berwald. That sounds German."

"He could be that, or maybe Swedish. Anyway, whatever he is doesn't matter. The guy's a creep."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Do you think Tino will be okay?"

"Of course. This guy lives in Finland! He won't be able to get across the ocean without being noticed."

"Unless he's already in the states…"

"You're overcomplicating things."

"I just get scared. I'm Near-eastern*; you have to allow me a degree of anxiety over certain things." Alexianos smirked, only half-kidding.

"Well, speaking of things causing anxiety and discomfort, let's talk about the fact that Sadik and Farah were googly-eyed cuddling when I came over."

Alexianos groaned. "Ugh…that was so awkward. The thing is, they aren't doing it on purpose. They're just _really_ cheesy."

"But, come on, in front of you? That seems disrespectful."

"Yeah, but I tell myself that they don't mean it. I'd probably hate them, otherwise." He laughed bitterly to accentuate his point.

"You couldn't hate anybody, Alex, and you know it."

"That's true. Though this Berwald guy is coming pretty close."

Eli took a bite of her chicken before replying, her fork raised thoughtfully.

"You seem to care a lot about this."

Alexianos blushed. "What are you implying?"

"You know damn well what I'm implying," the Hungarian woman grinned, "_You_ have a _crush_ on a cute blondie."

"He's my patient, not my crush."

"Lies. Your face is beet red. You know, you wouldn't be the first Finnish-American couple in the valley. Some woman in the LAFF is married to an Armenian guy..."

"Eli, this is embarrassing. I don't like him. Anyhow, what is the situation with you and Roderich?"

"Ugh, he screwed up. Up being the soloist in the choir he accompanies…"

Alexianos patted her hand comfortingly. "You deserve much better."

"Heck yes, I do! I even tried to give him a chance. I asked him if he wanted to work this out, and be faithful, you know? Yeah, I was hurt, but I don't mind rebuilding. Do you know what he said? 'Maybe I'm just not suitable for monogamy.' You should have thought about that before you married me, then!" She flushed, suddenly enraged. She had never given herself the opportunity to get so upset with Roderich before, and now her anger displayed itself in the most embarrassing of places. Still, Alexianos understood.

"He really said that? Ew."

"I know. And besides, you want to know something really terrible? For the past few months, I started having feelings for this friend of mine. I've known him since I was three. Oh, don't look at me like that, I know! It's bad, but I never _did_ anything with him. I never mentioned my feelings, because I thought that I could eradicate them. I thought I could work through it. But…maybe things didn't work out with Roderich for a reason."

"It's certainly possible. To be honest, I never really liked him. He was a snob."

"I know it now, it's just…What if it's my fault, too? What if my emotional detachment made him go away? What if I'm one of those women that will never be satisfied with the guy she's with?"

"You're not like that at all. Roderich was distant with you for over a year, and it's natural that you'd find a friend attractive. The good thing was that you didn't do anything to act on that attraction- that alone shows that you're a very different person from Roderich. Who is the friend?"

She blushed. "I'm afraid to say. You know him."

"I won't judge."

"Eduard."

"Ed?" Alexianos' eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Our friend, Ed? The pharmacist? Wow. And you never told me?" He poked her teasingly, smiling.

"I was ashamed!" She chuckled, happy that her friend accepted the confession. " I felt bad for liking someone else while I was married."

"You were still a great wife, though. Roderich had it way too easy."

"You're nice. He's not all awful. He just can't keep it in his pants, and I don't like infidelity."

"Understandably so. I honestly don't even know if I could be able to offer to work through an affair if a guy cheated on me."

"If a guy cheated on you, then he probably doesn't have a heart at all. That would be like stealing from a child or slapping Mother Theresa."*

Alex laughed. "You glorify me, Eli."

…

A/N: Thanks, guys, for waiting for my update! I had a busy weekend with SAT subject tests and my birthday (I'm now 17 :D), and I started class at a college nearby, but thankfully the story is all written out now! :) I still need to make some edits, but expect it to be posted soon (especially if I get some reviews :D). Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!

By the way, remember when I used to write FinRus eons ago under the account "PianoIsLove?" Well, I'm going to be posting a Winter-War centric story soon. :)

Notes:

-Fun fact! Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan are technically neither European nor Middle-Eastern- they're Near Eastern or Caucasian! The more you know! ;)

-Considering the fact that many Hungarians are Catholic (I'm pretty sure the majority are), Catholic Elizaveta would see someone slapping Mother Theresa as the worst possible thing in the planet. We Catholics _love_ Mother Theresa like people wouldn't understand otherwise. xD In church, they once brought in cloth from one of her old shirts, and most people kissed it. I suppose a lot of people would find that disgusting, and I can't blame them, but we didn't mind. xD


	5. Dr Strange

_ItsAMeFeliciano*: Pavla! :) How is my favorite nurse?_

_PavlavExperiment*: Feliciano! :)_

_PavlavExperiment: Your favorite nurse? I should be honored. ;) I'm pretty good, thanks. How is my favorite graduate student?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: IDK, how is he/she?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: Haha, kidding. :D_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: I'm good. You'll never guess what happened at work today!_

_PavlavExperiment: Oooh, let me guess! Okay, you work at Starbucks…did an independent writer come in, order a skinny latte, and sit in the café for three hours while pretending to write?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: HOW DID YOU KNOW?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: xD But, besides that. _

_PavlavExperiment: I have no clue. xD_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: Okay, this really really _weird _guy comes in and starts asking about the hospital that you work at! He was like, frantic about getting the directions, but something about him seemed off, so I pretended like I had no idea what he was talking about. Then, he mumbles something in Swedish (At least, I think it was Swedish; it sounded like a jumble of IKEA furniture names) and ordered some coffee. Anyway, this girl walks in and is eating some ice cream. He gets out a Polaroid camera and TAKES a picture of her! This was too weird, so I told him that he wasn't allowed to photograph customers, especially without their permission, inside the Starbucks. He looks at me very seriously and says "It's okay, I'm a professional photographer, yaddayadda." So, I look at the girl and ask her if she was okay with him just randomly photographing her. She shrugs and says that she guesses it's okay, so I don't push the issue._

_PavlavExperiment: Oh my God…Feliciano, did this guy order a drink? What was his name?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: This is where the weird part comes. The guy starts taking pictures of me and a coworker. We laugh it off at first, but then he starts telling us that we have "the faces" and must come back to his hotel room or whatever for a photoshoot. We just crack up and ask him to leave, but it was SO WEIRD!_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: His name? Hm, let me try to remember…_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: Something like Bernard? Benny?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: No, wait! It was Berwald. It was DEFINITELY Berwald, because I had to ask him how to spell it since he pronounced it as "Bear-vahld."_

_PavlavExperiment: SHIT!_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: Are you okay? :O_

_PavlavExperiment: Yeah, it's just that this is the guy! We have a patient that was stalked by this guy that liked to take pictures of people eating ice cream. You're right, Feli, this guy is a total creep and he's also breaking the law! He came all the way over from Finland to track down our patient! Quick, did he tell you what hotel he's staying at?_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: Yeah! He was staying far away, which I thought was weird, at the Hyatt in Valencia. Crap! We really need to turn this guy in. Let's go to the police- we can both be witnesses. Are there people at the hospital that will keep the patient safe?_

_PavlavExperiment: Yes, and Alex is working a late shift, so it all should be okay…but how quickly can you meet me at my apartment? We can carpool to the station, because I have a feeling we might need to rush to the hospital afterwards…_

_ItsAMeFeliciano: I'll be right over._

…

"Hello?" Alexianos' concerned voice greeted Pavla over the receiver. "Is something wrong? People don't usually call my work extension…"

"Alex, Feli saw Berwald at work today."

Alex nearly dropped the phone. "How do you know?" He asked, his heart beating loudly within his chest and his voice tremulous.

"He ordered a drink, so we got the name down, and he was taking pictures of a girl eating ice cream with a Polaroid camera."

"Shit! Okay, I'll go to Tino's room right now. Are you going to the police?"

"Yes, we are. Don't tell Tino! Just stay with him. You don't want to worry him, as Berwald might not even come."

"I feel like I ought to tell him, because it's a potential danger."

"Don't worry. I just got off the phone with Lieutenant Weilschmidt. But- ah, you're right. You don't want to keep anything hidden. Go alert the receptionist while you're at it."

"I'll be sure to do that. Pavla, thank you so much. I've got to go."

"Okay. Good luck."

"You, too."

…

"Hi, Doctor Kirzigian!" Tino smiled at the friendly surgeon. "How are you?"

"Tino, there's something very wrong."

The Finn's eyes widened with concern. "With my face, or…?"

"One of Pavla's friends saw Berwald at work today, unmistakeably. Don't worry, the police are already notified, and the hospital is going to be safely guarded, but I'm here if you want someone to stay in your room."

Tino tried to speak, but only a croak emerged from his throat. Instead, he pointed at Alex, then at a chair, and nodded. After a moment, he regained his voice.

"Please don't leave."

"I promise not to. Tino…wow, this is just such an awful situation. I wish you didn't have to go through this. Why do you think Berwald singled you out?"

"I honestly don't know. I mean, he's just so _creepy_! Apparently, his mother was Finnish, and she died when he was young…I guess that could be part of his obsession, but the guy is so sick. I feel like, no matter what I do, I can't escape. I'm always living in fear…"

"Nobody deserves that, especially not you. Do you know anybody's home that you can stay at? We're going to book this guy, don't worry, but I'm sure you don't want to be alone after you get out of the hospital."

"Yeah, I do. My cousin Eduard and I are really close- he'd let me stay with him, I'm sure of it."

"Eduard? Is he by chance Eduard von Bock?"

Tino smiled. "You know him?"

"Know him? We were roommates in college! We both went to UCLA for med school."

"Oh my gosh- I can't believe I didn't put it together before! I _knew_ you looked familiar!"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when Eduard had that graduation party and his cousin from Finland came? He introduced me to this guy named Alex and we talked the entire night- Ivan was there, too. I remembered that it was one of the best conversations I'd had- Ivan and I were cracking up the entire time at everything this guy said. He was _you_!"

"Oh my gosh," Alexianos beamed, "Was that really you? Of course I remember you, now! I remember thinking that you were one of the nicest people I'd ever met. You still are. Ivan seemed like a really great person, too."

Tino smiled modestly. "Thank you. That he was…wow, this is such a small world, huh? Who would ever think? I-"

A loud swing song blared from Tino's cell-phone, signaling a call. He stared at the phone in horror, not wanting the pick it up. Still, he answered it, anyhow.

"The police know. I hope you enjoy cold showers, because you're going to take a lot of them in prison." Before Berwald could even respond, Tino hung up the phone.

A loud knock sounded at the door, and Tino jumped.

"Don't worry," Alex whispered, leaning close to Tino so that the outsider couldn't hear, "I dead-bolted the door."

"Hospital doors have dead bolts?" Tino asked, his eyes betraying his panic.

"In the LA county, they do." Alex rose from Tino's side to check out the eyeglass and thankfully realized that Pavla, a police officer, and a young man that he presumed to be Feliciano were waiting outside.

"It's nurse Pavla, a police officer, and Pavla's friend, Feliciano. Is it okay if I let them in?"

Tino nodded, his eyes still wide.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Alex opened the door, allowing the three to come in. Tino's manner perked up as soon as he saw Lieutenant Wielschmidt- he knew that all would be okay with Gilbert around.

"We have good news, Tino." Gilbert grinned. "We caught him, and he's being sent to New York for a trial, so you won't have to hear from him anymore. He'll be sent back to Finland to serve his term, and he won't be able to set foot on American soil ever again. I bet you odds nine hundred and ninety-nine to one that he'll be put on house arrest."

"Really?" Tino gasped, utterly relieved. He looked at Pavla, beaming. "How can I ever thank you for this? You've just saved my life." He glanced around. "Really, all of you have. I can't even express how grateful I am…"

"It's not a problem," Pavla smiled. "Feliciano was the one that found this creep."

"The Pasila* police force also personally apologizes for not being able to catch Mr. Oxenstierna soon enough. Apparently, Chief Repomies confused Berwald for the Anteroinen brothers and initiated a separate case. That guy really needs to take his medicine more often…" Gilbert added. "The creepy thing is, he was already in America by the time that you called me last, making it the LAPD's issue as well. We were lucky that he didn't come here right away. In fact, when we caught him, he was in his hotel room, and we had to arrest him on the grounds of technological contact with you, and not physical proximity."

After a short while longer, everyone except Alexianos and Tino left the dormitory. The door shut behind Gilbert, and Tino turned to Alex.

"You told Pavla about Berwald, huh?"

His cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. "Yes, I did. I was worried."

"I really appreciate it. If you hadn't, I don't want to think of what would have happened."

"Me, neither. It must be a big relief to know that he'll never bother you again, though."

"It is. I mean, to be honest with myself, I'm a small guy. I did a bit of boxing in high school, but Berwald is strong. And, if he was part of what happened to Ivan, I will never forgive him for it. But for now I just want to forget about him. I love my job, and I love southern California. I think there's a reason that I ended up here."

"Things tend to work out for the best." Alexianos smiled. "It's strange that you're Eduard's cousin. He's a good friend of mine. He always used to tell me stories about you, too."

Tino laughed. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, he told me about your vacation to Cancun and how you danced in a hoop skirt for some beer…"

The Finn cracked up again. "Admittedly, that was not my proudest moment. Although, Dr. Kirzigian, I have some dirt on you, too."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. I implore you, what kind of Armenian pretends to be Turkish?"

Alexianos grinned. "You heard about that?"

"Well, I heard that you went to a Turkish-American Gala and pretended that your surname was 'Ozturk.'"

"In my defense, at the time my boyfriend was Turkish." The two chuckled. "I just wanted to fit in."

"I guess a guy named 'Dr. Kirzigian' would stand out."

Alexianos grinned, wishing that he could stay longer to talk but knowing that his body would soon succumb to fatigue. "Yeah. Well, tomorrow you'll be able to leave- you're fully recovered! Do you want to call Eduard?"

"Sure. Thank you, doctor."

"Absolutely. I'll let you get some rest."

"Likewise, you've been here all day! You ought to sleep."

…

"Ed!" Elizaveta nearly jumped with surprise when her friend greeted her at the sea-form door of her condominium.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" She regarded him politely, though his presence made her stomach churn. She couldn't decide if this was good or bad.

"I figured that you'd be _Hungary_ without someone to cook for you, so I took the liberty of making piirakka. It's mushroom."

Elizaveta grinned. "That's really nice of you; thank you. Good pun, by the way. I bet my food will be very T-eesti."

"Ha! I'm sure it will be. So, what are you going to do, now that you're a free from the ball-and-chain?" He closed the front door and walked into the foyer, shocked by how messy the home was.

"It's because he moved out," Elizaveta explained, surveying the room with distaste. "I haven't had time to clean it yet."

"It looks fine," Eduard lied, smiling anyhow. "You have more important things to think about."

"Well, I agree with the second half of that. This feels like old times…but you know who we're missing?"

"Tino."

"Yes," Elizaveta smirked. "But I don't think he's having such a rough time."

"How is he at the hospital?"

"Alex says he's recovering well. I'm not assigned to Tino for regular appointments, but I show up every now and then. Tino's being quite the flirt, too; he has Alex come in and talk about Ottoman history or something with him every day."

"Tino? I can't imagine him flirting with anybody."

"I know! That's what makes them so cute."

"Wait." Eduard grinned teasingly at Eli. "Are you trying to set them up?"

"I _might_ have ceded my duties for Tino over to Alex without him knowing…And I might pretend that I don't know Tino so that Alex is further interested in him. And I might have even hinted that they'd make a cute couple."

"Oh my God," Eduard laughed. "Well, I can't criticize your choice. Alexianos is the best of the best. He's a doctor, he's really nice, and he's good looking. Tino would do pretty well to date him."

"Yes! I completely agree!" Elizaveta laughed excitedly. "I'm happy. You know, I feel like I'm able to be a good matchmaker for everyone but myself. I helped Novak and Andelko get together, after all."

"I agree, but I also think you just like seeing guys kiss." Eduard winked.

"Well, I can't deny that…And, oh, I wouldn't mind seeing Tino and Alex make out!"

"Gross!" Eduard chuckled, then clarified. "Not because they're gay, but because that's my cousin."

"Ha! That's to get you back for showing up when I have a dirty house."

…

A/N:

-Feliciano's screen name is a reference to Mario, and Pavla's is a reference to Pavlov's experiment, in which he trained a dog to come for food every time he rang a bell. Eventually, the dog's mouth would water when he rang the bell, even if there was no food present. At least, I think that's how it goes. xD I don't have internet access up where I am right now, so I can't check my facts.

-This was a reference to the Finnish cartoon, Pasila. If you guys want to watch it with English subtitles, ReksaR on youtube does translations. It's a great show.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! I really appreciate it. :)


	6. The Best Medicine

…

Three days later

…

Tino was embarrassed to admit it to himself, but he _missed_ Dr. Kirzigian. He wanted to talk to the other again. He wanted to tease him again and watch that adorable blush spread across his high cheekbones. He wanted to hear the friction of Alexianos' mint-green scrubs or feel the surgeon's cold, gentle fingers take his pulse. He wanted, more than anything, for that melodic voice to ring in his ears. He even fantasized about wrapping his legs around the other's waist and-

Ahem.

Tino was already back at school, back to revitalizing the stories of the dead, the legends that live and teach. He observed his students during the last five minutes of class, the lot of them chatting and laughing and flirting and sometimes picking their noses when they thought others weren't watching. A pale brunette with a distinctly Finnish nose and a Swedish surname was turned on her side, chatting with the dark-haired Russian-Armenian student next to her. She cracked a joke, smiling awkwardly. He laughed, awarding her with a reassuring grin, and leaned in to whisper. She swatted his arm playfully and chuckled some more, obviously pleased. Tino's heart stirred with bittersweet reminiscence.

If only…

…

"Alex?" Farah knocked on her "cousin's" door, waiting patiently outside.

"Ara, come in!" Alex called, quickly clicking out of his browser. He _definitely_ wasn't looking at Tino's facebook, if that's what anyone was wondering…

Farah did, glancing about the room in astonishment. She hadn't ever really _entered_ Alexianos' room- at least, not in a long while. The space was very clean, with periwinkle walls and tidy bedding. Canvasses hung from the walls- paintings of different couples and landscapes that were presented without frames. _Alex painted?_

"This is amazing…" Farah breathed, walking closer to a portrait that depicted three smiling faces. The woman in the middle had red hair, waved in tendrils about her pale face, and cheerful cheekbones raised high in a grin. The woman next to her had dark hair and lovely, long-lashed eyes; her smile was peculiar, for it wasn't falsely confident, but instead unassuming and blissful. The man on the other side had a sweet, shy expression and cheerful brown eyes. "It's us."

"Thank you." Alexianos smiled modestly. "It is. What did you want to ask me about?"

"I need help," Farah confessed, blushing. She felt embarrassed to let her normally-assured demeanor wither, but perhaps it did everyone good to learn a little humility. She knew that she needed to seek help if she couldn't handle something herself, but she rarely ever did so, not wanting to doubt her capabilities.

Alex's eyes widened, shocked. Farah was asking _him_ for help? "Okay. What with?"

"I've gone ten days and thirteen hours without a cigarette. And I want one _so. Fucking. Badly._"

Alex smiled sadly. "Ah, I see. Are you chewing gum?"

"Yeah. It's helpful, but it isn't very satisfying."

"Quitting is the hardest thing I've ever done- I honestly think I had an easier time through med-school than I did through my first six months without a cigarette. However, I'm not saying that to discourage you. If I know anything about you, you're hardworking. Determined. You're the ideal person to quit smoking."

The Azeri woman was taken aback by the compliment. "Thank you."

"Sure. I know it's really hard. The two week point is the worst, and you're almost there. But it _does_ get better. And it's worth it. Now, I can't stand the smell of cigarettes anymore; seeing someone smoke doesn't give me a craving. I have been six years clean, but still- you'll get to that point, too. And you'll go past it. And, besides, your hair is so pretty. I don't want to scare you, but smoking is really bad for it. That'll help motivate you, right?"

Farah laughed, surprised by Alexianos' kindness. Could it be that she had misjudged him? She had seen him as being brooding, a grudge-holder; really, he was just a nice, sensitive guy. "It will. Alex…thank you. You're really cool; I feel bad that I've never gotten to know you that well."

"Well, whenever I'm free, you can come in and talk to me if you'd like."

She smiled, nodding. "I'd like that…Can I give you a hug?"

Alexianos stood, wrapping his arms around the woman loosely. "Of course you can."

Anja watched from the doorway, smiling to herself before continuing with her usual business.

…

Eduard, despite his seemingly introverted demeanor, loved throwing parties. There was nothing better than dancing to dubstep or sharing stories and cold ones with good friends. Therefore, to celebrate Tino's recovery, he decided to invite a group over. Elizaveta, Pavla, and Alexianos were on this list, of course, along with Pavla's "plus-one," Feliciano. Other friends came, too- Sadik, Farah, Karina, and Antonio, and of course Raivas at Toris from the pharmacy. Yekaterina and Toris came together, while Raivas asked a pharmacology student, Lili, to go with him.

With 11 Acorn Lane and Caravan Palace serenading the guests from JBI speakers, the party was already in full swing once the hospital trio arrived. Eduard greeted his friends with warm hugs, paying special attention to Elizaveta. She looked stunning- much different from her usual, uniformed self. Her glittering black dress and violet heels complimented her diamond necklace and recently-ringless finger. (The diamond necklace, coincidentally, was bought after she sold the ring.)

"You look gorgeous," Eduard praised, walking with her out to his Pasadena home's back patio.

"Thank you. Likewise, you look great."

Eduard smiled- he'd dressed to impress. His white linen shirt was topped by a blue vest, and his black Citizens of Humanity jeans came to his ankles. Not surprisingly, he was barefoot, as were most other northern European guests.

"So, I have some good news," Eli continued, grinning slyly.

"Is your divorce finalized?"

"As of yesterday. I swear, it was the longest seven months of my life."

"I'm glad you're at peace with it. You were always so sweet to Rod-dick; he's a jerk for betraying you."

"Eh, he's not so bad. He just wasn't right for me, but he was dishonest… Can I tell you a secret, though?"

Eduard's eyes widened. "Of course. Do you want to talk in my room?"

"I'd prefer it. Thank you."

"Sure." The two headed back inside, waving and smiling at the other guests as they pushed through. Once they closed the door of Eduard's bedroom, they sat on the edge of his light blue comforter.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?" Eduard tried to read Elizaveta's expression, surprised that the normally confident woman appeared to be nervous.

Elizaveta inhaled deeply, trying to steady her shaking fingers in the process."Well, I want to be honest with you. Even while I was married to Roderich…I did develop a bit of a crush on you. I tried to contain it, I really did. I never told a soul until after the separation. I wanted to go to therapy with Roderich and try to work it out, because I was just too afraid to tell him by myself. But that's not how marriage should be- and I should have known that before I plunged myself into one. In the end, we really were too different, and we didn't have a strong enough friendship to last us once the passion cooled. I liked him because he confused me, but maybe that's not love at all. Maybe love is just finding someone that you're truly at ease with."

"And…you're saying that you feel at ease with me?" Eduard didn't want to raise his hopes too high, but this undoubtedly excited him. He really did care for Elizaveta, and he always had.

"More so than with anybody else. I really like you, Eduard."

"Eli," Eduard took her hand in his, "I've wanted to hear that for a long time. They day you married Roderich was one of the worst in my life. I was happy for you, but he just seemed…wrong. I love you, but I just couldn't tell you."

She beamed. "You love me? Oh, thank God! I love you, too!" The two hugged, their hearts unfathomably full.

"Can I kiss you?" Eduard asked. "I have to warn you, my breath probably tastes like blood sausage."

"Mine probably tastes like onions. I don't care if you don't."

The two embraced. They both did have awful breath, but truly, neither of them cared.

…

Tino always did have a thing for doctors. He found nothing sexier than an intelligent man, and Alexianos had brains coming out of his ears. Still, even without his scrubs on, Alex was a fetishist's dream. His gold Fendis were perched over a long, narrow nose, and his dark, piecey hair was sideswept by the wind. He wore a mint-green and black argyle sweater over a long-sleeved white shirt, and his dark jeans complemented the outfit. That, combined with his confident posture and sweet, friendly chuckle left Tino unsure of what to do with himself.

Deciding to be bold, he walked up to Alexianos once the doctor finished his conversation with a couple.

"Hey, doctor." Tino grinned, adjusting his blue-framed glasses.

"Hey, Tino! How are you feeling?"

"Excellent. I haven't slept this well in years. And you?"

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm doing great! It's a nice party Ed's having, huh?"

"It is! I love this song, too."

"'My Superstar?' I didn't know you were an 11 Acorn Lane fan."

"Yeah, I really like their stuff. Swing is such fun to listen to."

"Do you want to dance with me, then?" Alex smiled, happy that he could finally flirt with Tino now that he was off-hours.

"I'd like that." Tino beamed, taking Alex's hands in his. The two had fun jiving to the upbeat music, and for being seemingly shy men, they turned out to both be wonderful dancers.

_ "You gotta go, go, go for it;_

_ You're a star!_

_ You gotta know you go,_

_ My superstar!_

_ (You're a star!)_

_ My superstar!_

_ (Super, super star!)_

_ My superstar!_

_ (You're a star!)_

_ My superstar!_

_ (You're a star!)"_

Everyone else in the room didn't matter. Berwald didn't matter. Even Ivan, at least for that moment, was the last thing on Tino's mind. Sadik didn't matter. Farah didn't, either. Nothing was important except for the fact that Alex and Tino were holding hands and smiling, swaying to the flute's siren call and the trombone's brassy wail.


	7. Doctor Love

…

_Three Years Later_

…

Hand-in-hand, Feliciano and Pavla skated around the circumference of a Turin pond, glittering snow drifting past their cheeks and plaiting their hair. Feliciano readjusted Pavla's scarf for her, tying it loosely about her neck.

"You don't want your neck to get chapped," he explained gently, smiling at his wife. She laughed.

"No. I definitely don't."

The snow continued to fall and the icicles on the trees swayed with the breeze and Pavla pressed her hand to an inflated stomach, rubbing the five-month-bump gently. Feliciano continued to hold Pavla's hand and took extra care that she didn't fall.

"I hope she likes cats," Feliciano mused.

"Mm…and coffee. When she's old enough to drink it, that is."

Feliciano chuckled. "Good. I think we should get another cat when she turns three."

"Yeah? What will we name it?"

The Italian man winked. "Kava."

"Like 'coffee?' Kava's a cute name, and you did your Slovenian research." Pavla grinned and breathed in the cold air, a whimsical expression on her face. "I thought of a name for our daughter."

"What?"

"How about Stella?"

"Stella?" Feliciano smiled. "Do I sense a Starbucks theme?"

"Her middle name could be 'Venti Frappuccino!'" The two laughed, their hoarse voices cracking in the cold air, and headed back off the pond and into their cabin to warm up by a dimly glowing fire.

…

"Daddy!" Yong Soo ran up to his dad right as the school gate opened, his little legs carrying him swiftly to his father.

"Hi, Isaac!" Eduard greeted, stooping to the ground and hugging his adoptive son. "How do you like pre-school?"

"It's fun. Look what I invented!" Yong Soo held up a crayon-colored picture of a blue and green cat and beamed.

"That looks cool; what's its name?"

"I don't know."

Eduard smiled. "Well, are you hungry? Let's go home and have lunch."

"Okay, daddy." Yong Soo stood on his toes and reached for his father's hand, still grinning. Eduard blinked- he had something in his eye.

…

Karina and Antonio cheered loudly as their Science Olympiad students accepted their "first place" trophy and eagerly snapped photographs of the beaming high-schoolers. Once the teenagers headed over to their instructors, Karina and Antonio enveloped them all in an enormous hug.

"We're so proud of you guys!" Karina beamed. "You all worked so hard. You must be tired, huh?"

The students agreed, and the lot of them made their way back to the bus, where they would be driven back to their school. Karina turned to follow them, and Antonio walked beside her.

Once they were all back on the bus, Antonio and Karina sitting directly behind the driver's seat, the students announced that they had a message and pooled to the front of the vehicle.

"Potassium argon iodine sodium-" they began, much to Karina's confusion, "would you like to form a permanent covalent bond with Actinium?"

"Potassium argon io- huh?" She turned to Antonio, wondering if he understood their cryptic request, and found that he was kneeling and holding a glittering gold band with a beautifully cut diamond.

"K- Ar-I-Na. Potassium Argon Iodine Sodium! Actinium…Ac- A.C. Antonio Carriedo? You want to marry me!" She jumped from her seat, beaming, and hugged the other. "Of course I will!

The students clapped and cheered, and a sentimental bus driver wiped his watery eyes. Karina leaned over and whispered:

"I love you, you big dork."

Antonio merely laughed and kissed her.

…

Three years and eleven days. Farah had gone three years and eleven days without a single cigarette. She didn't even chew gum anymore, and she had to admit that she felt so much better. Her throat now didn't burn in the cold, and she didn't have to cough up tar-laden mucous anymore. Her teeth were in much better condition and her hair didn't fall out in clumps whenever she showered. She learned how to handle her stress productively, and she often went on morning runs with Sadik. In fact, she had just run her first half-marathon- something she never could have done had she continued to smoke.

So, she wasn't with Sadik any longer. It really wasn't a sad thing for her- the both of them had such demanding jobs that the time just couldn't be made, but they still had a wonderful friendship. And who knows? Perhaps someday they would decide to get back together. Perhaps someday they would both find other people to love. Being thirty-one and single might terrify many women, but not Farah. She had plenty of time to devote to her job, and to running, and to playing piano. She lived with other nurses from the hospital, and all of them had a grand time together.

She was coming out with a solo composition album in the fall.

She wasn't sure what her future held, but she had peace in knowing she was living a fulfilling life. And that's why, when Sadik invited her to dinner to celebrate her album's production, she agreed to it.

_Carpe diem_.

…

Even if he was inexperienced, Alexianos hoped that he knew enough about anatomy to please his husband. If the other's contented smile and breathy recovery sighs were any indication, then he did a satisfactory job. Tino rolled onto his side, resting his hands on the small of Alex's back and kissing the other slowly.

"Are you sure you've never done that before?" Tino teased, kissing the other's cheek. "I think we lasted about five minutes. You have some good stamina!"

He blushed at the praise. "Thank you. I love you so much, jan."

"I love you, Alexianos."

Tino turned and looked out the frosted window, where the black Greenlandic waters shone underneath the starlight, and he gave his husband's hand a gentle squeeze. Alex, a smirk on his face, began to sing softly to a familiar song.

"They call me doc-tah lo-ove! (Doc-tah love!) So call me doc-tah lo-ove!"

"Doc-tah love!"

The two broke out into hysterics, Tino snorting with laughter.

"I sure knew how to make an impression on you." He wiped the tears from his laughter-squinted eyes and tried to catch his breath once more.

"You sure did."

"If I remember correctly, Pavla peed her pants."

"Correction: _Almost_ peed her pants."

Tino grinned. "Her and Feliciano's one-year anniversary is in a week. We should call them."

"Good idea. Plus, Eli wants us to get brunch with her and Eduard once we come back home."

"That sounds good. I'm content to escape civilization until then, though. You know, besides maybe a dinner."

"Sushi?"

Tino winked. "You know me too well."

"Well, I do now." Alex pressed his forehead against Tino's and smiled, his lips a mere centimeter from his husband's. "A tattoo on your hip? That must have hurt."

"Christ, it did. You're not bothered by it, are you? It is in his memory…"

Alex eyed the angel on Tino's hip-bone. "Not at all. I think it's beautiful."

Tino grinned. "I wish he could talk to you; I think he'd like you a lot. You're very different from him, however."

"How so?"

"Well…you're a bit shyer. You're also more modest and more direct. He was playful, but you're more so. And you're five years older than him. Six older than me."

Alex held Tino's hand in his. "I'm glad you gave me a chance."

"Ivan's love was wonderful while it lasted. I thought that I wouldn't want to ever date again. But when I met you, I got this feeling that I'd never known before. You give me such a sense of peace, and I knew that you were special. If I'm completely honest with myself, I adored Ivan, but I never loved him as much as I love you."

"Aw." Alex was secretly pleased to hear this. Though he always respected Tino's memory of Ivan- a memory that Tino rarely brought up, though must have still cared for- he didn't want to be a substitute for something better. He wanted to make Tino happy- truly happy, and happier than anyone else could possibly make him.

"I think it fits that I married a doctor." Tino's lips curved in contentment. "After all, it takes a professional to heal a broken heart."

…

A/N: It _killed_ me to write that part with Farah and Sadik, but I couldn't make the ending "perfect." Uh bluh bluh. Oh well. At least it leaves it up to your imagination what happens next with them. :)

Anyhow, please tell me what you thought of this! This is the last chapter, but have no fear- I'm working on a new project with Armenia and Fem!Scotland. (And also Male!Scotland and England; non-related, of course.) :D I've decided to start pre-writing my stories, as I feel it makes it much easier for me to finish them. xD

Thanks for reading, you guys. :)


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